5-Star Quarterback, No. 1 Overall Prospect Arch Manning Commits To Texas

Arch Manning, the No. 1-ranked player in 247Sports' Class of 2023, made huge waves Thursday by ending his whirlwind recruitment and announcing his commitment to Texas over Alabama and Georgia. Manning, the nephew of legendary quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning and grandson to College Football Hall of Famer Archie Manning, has been the most sought-after recruiting prospect since the days of Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields. 

"Committed to the University of Texas. #HookEm," Arch Manning announced in a tweet.

A 6-foot-4, 215-pound signal-caller from Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans, Manning has thrown for 6,307 yards, 81 touchdowns and has rushed for 19 more scores in three seasons.

He is one of only three prospects to ever receive a perfect 1.0000 rating in the 247Sports Composite, joining another pair of Texas quarterbacks in Vince Young and Quinn Ewers.

Manning not only has "all the physical tools desired at the quarterback position," according to 247Sports national recruiting analyst Cooper Petanga, but he also displays "exceptional intuition and awareness, showing the ability to command and navigate the game at a very high level."

Manning's acquisition continues a hot recruiting trend for Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, who is clearly making the Longhorns a destination for high-profile recruits. Sark has recently reeled in Ewers, the ex-Ohio State quarterback and former five-star recruit, ex-Alabama tight end Jahleel Billingsley and several other stars to Austin, Texas, as he efforts to replenish a depleted roster.

With Ewers on campus and four-star Maalik Murphy, the No. 12 signal caller in the Class of 2022, already in the quarterback room, a significant competition for the starting gig in 2023 is on the horizon no matter how successful Ewers is this season, his first with the Longhorns.

Working under Alabama coach Nick Saban in 2019 and 2020, Sarkisian saw firsthand what acquiring premier talent, and having that talent compete with as many top-tier players as possible in practice, looks like. Stacking quarterbacks -- and all high-profile players -- on top of each other creates a culture of competition that championship-caliber teams need. 

Though Manning is passing on the chance to play for established SEC powers Alabama and Georgia, he will wind up playing in the league when Texas (and Oklahoma) complete their transition from the Big 12 ahead of the 2025 season when Manning will be entering his third year.

The Manning family played Arch's recruitment close to the vest, choosing their words carefully in public while insisting that the decision belonged to Arch alone. In the end, Arch appeared to choose Texas over Georgia after Alabama solidified a contingency plan with the commitment of Eli Holstein, another 2023 blue-chip quarterback, last month.

Still, Manning went through with official visits to all three schools in June with his stop at Texas coming last weekend. In closing strong with Manning, the Longhorns also picked up a commitment Sunday from his high school teammate, three-star tight end Will Randle.

As 247Sports director of recruiting Steve Wiltfong pointed out on CBS Sports HQ following Manning's Texas visit, the Longhorns have not recruited another quarterback in the Class of 2023. "Steve Sarkisian and company have been all in on Arch Manning from the beginning," Wiltfong said.

That commitment to Manning paid off in a major way with Manning pledging to a program that is seeking a return to its former glory. The Longhorns have reached 10 wins just once in the past 12 seasons since the heights of Mack Brown's tenure in the first decade of the 2000s.

But with top-notch facilities, fervent booster support and a strong history, Texas has all the resources needed to compete for national titles. Now, they have a potentially generational quarterback in the fold as well who can bring the program one step closer to truly being "back" in the way that so many Texas fans yearn to experience.

First published on June 22, 2022 / 12:11 PM

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